Taiwan stated that China and Russia ties pose a threat to global peace and that the international community must reject the “expansion of authoritarianism.”
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, extolling their strategic ties in defiance of the West.
President Xi told Mr Putin in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, that he was “willing to make efforts with Russia to assume the role of great powers”.
Mr Putin reaffirmed Russia’s backing for China’s claim to self-rule Taiwan, which Beijing considers as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, through force if necessary.
The connection between the two authoritarian leaders has alarmed Taipei, which fears Mr. Xi may follow Russia’s path and invade a neighbour it has long vowed to conquer.
Taiwan declares that it would safeguard its liberties and democracy.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry stated in a statement that it “severely condemns Russia for following the Communist Party of China’s authoritarian expansionist government to continue to make false statements at international venues that demean our country’s sovereignty”.
“(Russia) calls those who maintain peace and the status quo provocative, which highly demonstrates the harm caused by the alliance of Chinese and Russian authoritarian regimes on international peace, stability, democracy and freedom,” the statement continued.
Former Cold War allies with a tumultuous relationship, China and Russia have grown closer in recent years as part of a “no limits” alliance that serves as a counterweight to the United States’ global supremacy.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference in Samarkand comes at a vital time for Mr Putin, as his forces face serious combat reverses in Ukraine and the West’s persistent campaign to make Russia an international pariah.
For Mr. Xi, it is an opportunity to bolster his credentials as a global statesman ahead of the ruling Communist Party’s key meeting in October, where he is anticipated to clinch a record-breaking third term.
Under Mr. Xi, China’s most forceful leader in a generation, Beijing’s threats towards Taiwan have escalated.
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait reached a new high when China made an extraordinary show of force in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last month.
China moved warships, missiles, and fighter jets into the waters and skies around Taiwan for a week following her visit, despite Taiwan’s condemnation of the drills and missile launches as preparation for an invasion.
